Obviously you need material that you can't see through, but it usually is very expensive. Here is something that I have done to get around that problem. You can get whatever kind of material you like, and don't worry that you can see through it. All you need is to use tinfoil behind it. Tinfoil is cheap and you can't see through it at all.

I like the spiderflex drop but if anything happens to the structure it is very hard to fix and can be very hard to set up as well as the fact that the stablity suffers.

Magical regards

Hi Steve,


Do you think the PHOTEK system is strong enough to handle a full twelve foot long by eight foot high run of black velvet?

Check this out :

An 8' x 14' backdrop for 275.00 (includes the drapes)

http://www.hmcdisplay.com/Merchant2/merc......de=pd814

I've seen packages like this at trade shows. It's not exactly portable, considering the 8' long uprights. You'd have to carry it in a panel van. The curtains, from what I've seen, are only opague if you have total control over the lighting. They're transluscent. This seems to be something that the facility would own, not one of the exhibitors.

That's a good point, Alan .

The upright supports ( 8' high) would be a problem. I think it might not be too hard to have them cut in half and a joint connecter attached at the mid-way point , so they could be broken down to 4' sections.
It appears that the 14' long section to hang the curtain on is telescopic, so that would not be a problem. I'm going to write to the company to find out if they might be able to supply the upright poles in 4' ft. sections for easier packing.
The curtains might have to be backed with a heavier, less expensive material to make them more opaque, I'm not sure.

Still looks like a very reasonable price for a unit 8' x 14' . Not as portable as the Spyder frames, but a lot less expensive.

Hi. I have heard of a Mylar backdrop that seems nice, but I can't find it! Can someone give me a little help?

The Merchant display is what an illusionist friend of mine (Jeff Olear) recommended to me years ago. He swore by them, as they were much sturdier than most backdrop systems marketed for magicians.
Ronald R. Romiski

If you don't have access to a fly tower in the venue you perform in, consider a roll-drop. Unbleached muslin is definitely the cheapest starting point for a drop, but then you need access to a scene painter to make the most of it.

I've seen miracles performed with surplus parachutes and special lighting...as Saydean mentioned, lights can make all the difference on an unpainted (or painted) surface.

Also, Go to Rosco for your mylar drops.